The Road Not Taken

When most read Robert Frost’s poem, they think that the poem’s theme revolves around the concept of individualism. After all, Frost seems to be referencing a road less traveled; therefore, making his decision more unique and worthwhile. Overall, “The Road Not Taken” is met with much criticism about what the poem is actually about – individualism or rather deception. This has been a frequent topic of discussion among fellow critics including Robert W. French calling the poem “deceptive” because of the use of the simple use of language (French 203). Using a variety of literary techniques, specifically imagery, diction, and tone, Robert Frost successfully characterizes the theme of deception in “The Road Not Taken.”

Frost is able to use the technique

“Two words diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by…” (18-19). These particular lines highlight Frost’s informal use of diction since it is also easy to understand, unlike other poets. This allows readers to connect and even create their own beliefs regarding the themes of Frost’s poetry, ultimately deceiving the reader since there is not a universal theme. “Once his work came into circulation, its freshness and deceptive simplicity captivated audiences…” (Ellis 1002). Since the poem was not difficult for the reader to interpret, it began to lead to misinterpretations of the poem. Many of its readers scratch the surface of the meaning of the poem, but never fully understand the deeper understanding, due to use of an informal and simple diction. Because of this style of writing, Frost’s poems became popular and much of that success can be attested to his simplistic writing techniques and most importantly diction. “Much of Frost’s contribution to American literature came from his ability to speak in a poetic but plain language to both common people and scholars…” (Beachman 625). “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back” (15-16). These lines can confuse the reader because although it is simple to understand, it does not actually mean traveling different roads. However, diction is not the only literary technique used throughout

“I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence…” (16-17). In line 16 is when the tone of the poem begins to change. In the beginning, Frost was talking in the present and then he changes to where he is imagining himself in the future. To make this change even more significant, this is the only stanza, to begin with a new sentence. This helps emphasize the change from the previous stanzas and the thoughts they held. “The tone of this poem is another indicator that an important decision is being made…” (“The Road” 196). However, the poem is not solely about the decision between which road to take, but rather poses deeper questions surrounding life. “…I doubted if I should ever come back” (15). The tone exemplified in this particular line shows how the narrator is skeptical if he will ever return even though he previously said he saved that road for another day. This adds deception within the poem because of his